Checkout Lane: Home generators keep juice flowing during outages

Storms often knock out power, but there is one group of consumers who can keep the lights on - those who have installed generators at their homes.

Alex Spanko

Storms often knock out power, but there is one group of consumers who can keep the lights on - those who have installed generators at their homes.

Joe Salters, president and owner of Morgan Power Equipment in Halifax, Mass., said a 4,000- to 6,500-watt portable generator is usually enough to power a home's lights, refrigerator and heating system during an outage.

Those units can be as cheap as a few hundred dollars, Salters said, but don't necessarily make sense if your house has more sophisticated electronic equipment, such as a computer-controlled heating system or a home office.

"Generators don't produce the same kind of electricity you get from National Grid off the transmission line," he said.

Instead, they create what Salters called "dirty electricity" – power delivered at an inconsistent voltage or frequency - that can damage sensitive electronic equipment. Inverter-style generators provide a steadier flow of electricity and use significantly less fuel, Salters said, but are also more expensive: A 3,000-watt unit can cost around $2,300.

If you really can't stand the thought of an extended period without power, you can invest in a standby system. These complex generators automatically disconnect a house from the main transmission line and start producing electricity in the event of an outage.

That kind of convenience comes with an even heftier price tag. Standby systems can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $12,000, Salters said, and they may not be necessary in areas where prolonged power outages are infrequent.

But Debbie Matthews, owner of New England Generator Corp. in Marshfield, Pembroke and Barnstable, said standby systems have certain advantages.

Many of those generators connect to natural gas lines, and thus don't need to be refueled. Matthews, whose company exclusively sells standby generators, noted that most gas stations are closed during power outages, making it nearly impossible to refill gasoline-powered portables.

Before you make any big purchasing decisions, Matthews suggested getting in touch with a generator company that can tell you exactly what equipment you need and how to install it.

"Consumers really have to educate themselves before they spend all that money," she said.

Alex Spanko may be reached at aspanko@ledger.com.

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